Apparatus for the treatment of rayon cakes



M y 1951 A. POLITZER ET AL 2,553,110

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF RAYON CAKES Filed 001:. 6, 1947 p I I I i f I i I INVENTORS. WWW

HTTO/PNEYS Patented May 15, 1951 APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF RAYON CAKES Alfred Politzer, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and Herbert Oswald Naumann, New York, N. Y., assignors to Oscar Kohorn & 00., Ltd., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 6, 1947, Serial No. 778,092

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for the treatment of packages of thread, and it relates more particularly to an improved apparatus for the liquid treatment of cakes of artificial thread.

In the manufacture of rayon by the pot spinning method, the freshly spun rayon thread is directed by way of a funnel, into a bucket rotating at a high speed. The point of egress of the thread from the funnel is suitably reciprocated so that the thread is withdrawn by the centrifugal action of the rotating bucket and laid in regular uniform layers against the inner surface of the bucket to thereby form a package or cake of rayon. When a sufficient amount of rayon thread is deposited in the bucket, the resulting cake is removed and is in an unsupported condition. The rayon cake, either wrapped in a knitted tubular wrapper or the like, or unwrapped, is then subjected to the usual liquid aftertreating steps including washing, desulphurizing and avivifying, and is thereafter dried and coned.

The apparatus generally employed in the liquid aftertreatment of cakes of rayon consists of an arrangement for supporting a plurality of rayon cakes, so that the interiors of these cakes may be placed in liquid communication with a source of treating fluid under the desired pressure. This arrangement may consist of a set of elements which support the rayon cakes in an end to end communication relationship, and in connection by way of a manifold with a liquid supply conduit. A treating liquid under pressure is by this arrangement introduced into the interior of the cakes and flows through the cakes to effect the liquid treatment of the rayon thread. A difiiculty commonly encountered in the liquid treatment of rayon cakes as above set forth is that the inner portion of the cake often collapses or becomes sufiiciently distorted to result in an appreciable part of the rayon thread being wasted. This is obviously undesirable since it results in a considerable waste and in a reduction in the production efficiency.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for the liquid treatment of porous packages.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the liquid treatment of cakes of rayon formed by the pot spinning method.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the liquid treatment of cakes of rayon, which apparatus is of rugged and simple construction.

The above and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a front sectional view of an apparatus embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional detail view of a check valve employed in the apparatus illustrated in Figure l, and Figure 3 is a plan view of said valve.

It has been found that the collapse or distortion of the inner portion of a rayon cake during the liquid treatment thereof can be directly attributed to the rapid efliux of the treating liquid from the interior of the cake following a liquid treatment step and during the draining from within the cake of the remaining liquid. Heretofore the pressure forcing the treating liquid into and through the cakes is abruptly removed and the liquid is permitted to rush out of the interior of the cakes and so disrupt a portion thereof. Accordingly, the present invention proposes reducing the rapidity of efilux of the treating liquid from the interior of the cake upon the removal of the pressure on the treating liquid.

, To this end a unilateral impedance to the flow of liquid is positioned in the liquid flow path. Thus, one or more check valves permitting a substantially free flow into the interior of the cakes and a restricted flow out of the interior of the cakes is placed at one or more points in the path of flow of the treating liquid.

Reference is now made to the drawing, which illustrates a cake aftertreating apparatus of the type described in the copending application of Herbert O. Naumann, Serial No. 686,333, filed on July 26, 1946.

More specifically, the apparatus includes a plurality of hinged shelves Ill and IEA, which are rotatably supported upon an upright l l by means of the shafts [2. Further, the upright l I may be suitably mounted on a base or on a truck so that the cake washing apparatus may be transported to the successive stations where the treating fluids are introduced into the apparatus. Each of the shelves IllA, hinged at their inner end, is provided with a series of regularly spaced openings l3, which are aligned with the corresponding openings formed in the other shelves IDA, the shelves Ill lacking such openings. Moreover, the inner face of each of the shelves Ill and IDA are provided with self-sealing gaskets M, which are co-axial with the openings [3, and are of such form as to expand upon the introduction of liquid into the space between the upper face of the gasket, and the opposing face of the supporting shelf, thereby to effectively liquid-seal the treated cakes. Similarly located coaxially with the openings I3 and secured to the upper faces of the shelves ID are spacing rings. In addition, each of the shelves ID and IDA is provided with one or more depending spacing rods I6, whose length is equal to the distance between the shafts I2, so that the shelves ID and IDA are positively spaced and parallel to each other.

A liquid distributing manifold I! is co-extensive with the shelves ID, and is suitablyand rigidly supported on the carriage or the base member.

The manifold I1 is provided with an inlet conduit I8, and has formed in its upperwall a plurality of openings I9, which are coaxial with the corresponding openings I3 forming the shelves IDA. Further, each of the shelves ID and IDA are provided with a lip along their hinged edge, so that the liquid flowing through the treated. rayon cakes and accumulating on the shelves IDA will pour .over the lip 20 into a return conduit2 I positioned below the lowermost lip 20.

Depending from each of the openings I9 formed in the upper wall of the manifold H is a check typevalve 2.2. The check valve 22 is formed of a tubular member 23 provided at its lower end with an inwardly projecting peripheral flange 24, and at its upper end with an angularly extending peripheral flange 25. The flange 25 is spaced from the main portion of the tubular member 23 by an intermediate portion 26. Further, the tubular members are positioned in corresponding openings I9, where they may be suitably welded, riveted or force-fitted into place. Associated with each of the tubular members 23 is a gate supporting annulus 3D rigidly retained by portion 26, and supporting by way of an integrally formed spider 32 a depending rod 33. A disc 34 of slightly smaller diameter than the opening defined by the inner edge of the flange 24 is provided with a concentric opening 35, and an upwardly eX- tending sleeve member 36. Moreover the disc 34 and the sleeve member 36 are coaxial with and slidably engage the rod 33. It should be noted that when disc 34 is in its lowermost position, it is substantially coplanar with the flange 24, a small circular opening 39 being defined by the opposing edges of the flange 24 and disc 34.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus illustrated, the shelves ID and IDA are brought to their open position, and cakes of rayon 3'1 are with the aid of locating rings I3A placed co-axially with the openings I3 and I9 in the shelves EDA and in the upper wall of manifold I1, respectively. After all the shelves have been filled and brought to a closed position, they are locked by any suitable mechanism, and a-treating fluid is introduced into manifold I'I through the conduit I8. The treating fluid is under pressure, and flows upwardly through the check valve 22, the upward flow and pressure of the treating liquid being suflicient to urge discs 34 into their upper position, thereby permitting the substantially free flow of the treating liquid into the interior of the aligned cakes 31. The treating liquid flowsthrough the cakes, thereby effecting the liquid treatment thereof, and flows along shelves IDA, and is guided by the lips 20 into the return conduit 2i. Upon the liquid treatment being completed, the conduit I8 is disconnected and theliquid in the manifold I1 is allowed to drain freely. Consequently, the pressure on the inner faces of the. discs. causes the discs 34 to return to their lower-most position, thereby re- ..stricting the return flow of the liquid from the P the liquid within the interior of the cakes 31 upon the completion of the liquid treatment operation,

thereby preventing the unraveling or collapse of the inner faces of the cakes 31.

' While there have been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is obvious that numerous omissions :and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

We claim:

An apparatus for the liquid treatment of annular packages of yarn, comprising a manifold having a plurality of circular openings formed in the upper face thereof, means for supporting a plurality of vertical stacks of annular packages of yarn in registry with the respective openings in said manifold, means for sealing the upper end of each of said stacks of yarn, flow regulating means supported in each of said openings, and including a tubular member having an inwardly extending annular flange, the inner edge of which defines a circular opening and a vertically slidable disc of smaller diameter than said last mentioned opening and supported for vertical coaxial movement with respect to said opening into and out of registry with said opening, whereby, upon the upward flow of liquid said disc is urged out of registry with the opening, and upon the flow of liquid in a downward direction said disc is urged into registry with said opening to substantially restrict said opening.

ALFRED POLITZER. HERBERT OSWALD NAUMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,060,277 Murray Apr. 29, 1913 1,327,662 Dudley Jan. 13, 1920 1,334,526 Dudley Mar. 23, 1920 1,859,037 Huttinger May 17, 1932 1,906,015 Schwarzkopf Apr. 25, 1933 2,002,481 Gordon et al May 21, 1935 2,439,314 Mulligan et a1 Apr. 6, 1948 FOREIGN. PATENTS Number Country Date 277,848 Italy Sept.'22, 1930 590,258 Germany July 5, 1934' 

